Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Native Americans should seek representation in the US Congress.

Sunday’s halting of the Dakota Access pipeline marks a key victory for Native Americans involved in the months-long protest,

Of course it could be reversed by Donald Trump after he is inaugurated so maybe there should be constant vigilance

Tim Giago, a journalist and Oglala Sioux Tribe member who has covered Native American issues for decades has claimed the movement at Standing Rock represents the latest chapter in a centuries-old history of indigenous people striving to protect their land, and its magnitude goes beyond nearly any Native American protest before it.

“Over the last 50 years there have been protests taking place and I don’t think any of them have united like this one,” said Giago, who described the Army’s announcement Sunday that it would freeze the pipeline’s construction as “a major victory for the Indian nation.”"The theme Water is Life has taken on a whole meaning not only for the Indian nations but for people in the United States and also all over the world,"

Hopefully it will lead to Native Americans unifying the same way we in Wales did after the aftermath pf the The building of the Tryweryn reservoir which was instrumental in an increase in support for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, during the late 1950s. Almost unanimous Welsh political opposition had failed to stop approval of the scheme, a fact that seemed to underline Plaid Cymru's argument that the Welsh national community was powerless.] At the subsequent General Election the party's support increased from 3.1% to 5.2%.Maybe it's time Native Americans demanded representation in congress A number of Us territories have a (non voting) representative in congress . Though Native Americans with a total population of about 5- 6 million could claim up to 8 representatives and voting rights.They could look to New Zealand where the Māori have been represented in Parliament from 1867.At the moment There are seven designated Māori seats in the New Zealand Parliament (and Māori can and do stand in and win general roll seats), and consideration of and consultation with Māori have become routine requirements for councils and government organisations.I am sure Māori representatives would argue that this does not mean that they are not ignored , but they do have a voice.Its not for me to tell Native Americans what they should do , but if they did have a voice in the US congress. Something that would have helped the Oglala Sioux early on.

1 comment:

There are currently two and both are Trump supporters. One of them, Markwayne Mullin, Cherokee, is also in favor of privatizing what remains of the reservations. The reason for privatization? Oil, of course.